Group Home Meeting

The controversy over a group homes move to a Vanderburgh County subdivision continues. Today residents met with the executive director of "Res-Care" the Louisville based group home at the center of it all. Conversations between north-side subdivision residents and Res-Care representatives reached another level as they all gathered for a meeting. Earlier this week residents made their concerns public, now it was time to hear from Res-Care. The group of residents met here at the McMutchanville Fire Department. Fox 7 was asked not to tape during the meeting so that residents felt free to air their concerns, concerns that the executive director of Rescare wants to address. Among them, that this group home will effect property value and more importantly the safety of children in the neighborhood. Safety from residents that Robert Spicuzza says all have some sort of learning disability. SPICUZZA: "These ladies that theyre talking about have lived at Kratzville road for years since the early 80s with never an issue of bothering neighbors anything.If anything we have to protect them from the community." In fact, Spiccuzza says there are at least eight of these homes across Vanderburgh and Warrick counties co-existing without any problems. He feels its a lack of understanding about the people and their disabilities. SPICUZZA: "We invite everyone to come in. Well show them their house. Show them their living conditions. Let them meet the ladies and gentlemen that live in these home and i promise you their attitudes will change." And at this point residents really have no choice. The neighborhood covenant states that their should only be single family homes in the area...The law says something else. But Rescare says it was always their intention to maintain the property and be a good neighbor. Once the meeting was done it was decided that residents would make a list of recommendations related to parking and the exterior of the home. "Res-Care" would then reply in writing listing the conditions that they agree to accept